U.S. patent number 8,381,939 [Application Number 12/709,334] was granted by the patent office on 2013-02-26 for insulated storage tank.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Power Panel, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Ken Buttery, Scott Leslie, Garth J. Schultz. Invention is credited to Ken Buttery, Scott Leslie, Garth J. Schultz.
United States Patent |
8,381,939 |
Schultz , et al. |
February 26, 2013 |
Insulated storage tank
Abstract
An insulated storage tank incorporating modular panels includes
a structural rigidity to store large volumes of hot and cold
liquids. The insulated storage tank includes a plurality of
insulating panels disposed on an insulation substrate in a
circumferential pattern, the insulating panels each in proximate
contact with two other panels forming a cylindrical wall. The
insulating panels are a rigid structure and provide structural
support to an inner liner disposed within the cylindrical wall and
operable to be filled with a hot or cold liquid. The cylindrical
wall of insulating panels is further supported by a thin outer
support jacket. The insulated storage tank has a lid disposed on
the insulating panels thereby sealing the contents of the insulated
storage tank.
Inventors: |
Schultz; Garth J. (Oxford,
MI), Buttery; Ken (South Lyon, MI), Leslie; Scott
(Markham, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schultz; Garth J.
Buttery; Ken
Leslie; Scott |
Oxford
South Lyon
Markham |
MI
MI
N/A |
US
US
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
Power Panel, Inc. (Detroit,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
42630064 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/709,334 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2010 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20100213201 A1 |
Aug 26, 2010 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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61208275 |
Feb 20, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.2;
374/141; 220/565; 165/74; 73/292 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D
20/0034 (20130101); F16L 59/025 (20130101); F24H
1/182 (20130101); F28D 2020/0065 (20130101); F28F
2270/00 (20130101); F24S 60/30 (20180501); Y02E
60/14 (20130101); Y10T 29/49826 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
90/06 (20060101); E03B 11/00 (20060101); B65D
90/48 (20060101); B65D 90/04 (20060101); B65D
88/06 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;374/141 ;73/292
;220/565,592.2 ;165/74 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
International Search Report for International Application No.
PCT/US2010/024758 mailed Sep. 16, 2010. cited by applicant .
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for
International Application No. PCT/US2010/024758 mailed Sep. 16,
2010. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Fulton; Christopher
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harness, Dickey & Pierce,
P.L.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 61/208,275 filed on Feb. 20, 2009. The entire disclosure of the
above application is incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An insulated storage tank, comprising: a plurality of insulating
panels disposed in a circumferential pattern, the insulating panels
each in contact with two other panels forming a cylindrical wall,
individual ones of the insulating panels each including a leading
edge contact surface forming a leading edge apex and a trailing
edge offset, and an oppositely located trailing edge contact
surface, wherein the leading edge contact surface of one of the
insulating panels is placed in direct contact with the trailing
edge contact surface of a next successive one of the insulating
panels; an inner liner disposed within the cylindrical wall to be
filled with a hot or cold liquid and conforming in shape to the
insulating panels; an outer support jacket surrounding an exterior
arcuate surface of the cylindrical wall of insulating panels.
2. The insulated storage tank of claim 1, further comprising: a lid
resting shelf created on an interior facing rim side wall of the
cylindrical wall; and a substantially circular insulated tank lid
disposed on the lid resting shelf thereby sealing the contents of
the insulated storage tank.
3. The insulated storage tank of claim 2, further comprising: a
control unit disposed on the tank lid; a water level sensor
disposed on the tank lid and integrated with the control unit, the
water level sensor operating to measure a liquid level within the
storage tank and create a signal used by the control unit to
control a flow of the liquid into and out of the storage tank to
vary the liquid level; and a temperature sensor disposed on the
tank lid and integrated with the control unit, the temperature
sensor operating to measure a temperature of the liquid within the
storage tank and create a signal used by the control unit to
control a flow of the liquid into and out of the storage tank to
vary the temperature of the liquid.
4. The insulated storage tank of claim 1, wherein the inner liner
is constructed from a polymeric material capable of retaining a
liquid at a temperature ranging from approximately zero degrees
Centigrade to approximately 250 degrees Centigrade inclusive.
5. The insulated storage tank of claim 1, wherein the outer support
jacket has a length greater than an outer circumference of the
cylindrical wall of the insulated storage tank and a height
substantially equal to a height of the cylindrical wall.
6. The insulated storage tank of claim 1, wherein the outer support
jacket comprises a polymeric material having a width ranging from
approximately 0.1 mm to 10 mm inclusive, the outer support jacket
having ends overlapped with each other and fixedly connected to
each other.
7. An insulated storage tank, comprising: a plurality of
arcuate-shaped insulating panels disposed in a circumferential
pattern, the insulating panels each in contact with two other
panels forming a cylindrical wall; an inner liner disposed within
the cylindrical wall to be filled with a hot or cold liquid and
conforming in shape to the insulating panels; an outer support
jacket surrounding an exterior arcuate surface of the cylindrical
wall of insulating panels, the outer support jacket; a
substantially circular insulated tank lid disposed on the
cylindrical wall and in contact with the inner liner to seal the
liquid contained in the insulated storage tank; a control unit
disposed on the tank lid; a water level sensor disposed on the tank
lid and integrated with the control unit; and a temperature sensor
disposed on the tank lid and integrated with the control unit;
wherein the tank lid is divisible into first and second portions,
each of the control unit, the water level sensor, and the
temperature sensor being disposed a same one of the first or second
portion such that the opposite one of the first or second portions
can be opened without interfering with operation of any of the
control unit, the water level sensor, or the temperature
sensor.
8. The insulated storage tank of claim 7, wherein the water level
sensor operates to measure a liquid level within the storage tank
and create a signal used by the control unit to control a flow of
the liquid into and out of the storage tank to vary the liquid
level.
9. The insulated storage tank of claim 7, wherein the temperature
sensor operating to measure a temperature of the liquid within the
storage tank and create a signal used by the control unit to
control a flow of the liquid into and out of the storage tank to
vary the temperature of the liquid.
10. The insulated storage tank of claim 7, further comprising an
insulating floor slotted to be received into a recess formed by a
floor contact wall and a floor support shelf created in the
cylindrical wall.
11. The insulated storage tank of claim 10, wherein the inner liner
is supported on the insulating floor.
12. The insulated storage tank of claim 7, further comprising a lid
resting shelf created on an interior facing rim side wall of the
cylindrical wall, wherein the inner liner is in contact with the
lid resting shelf and the tank lid is disposed on the inner liner
and supported by the lid resting shelf.
13. The insulated storage tank of claim 7, wherein a quantity of
five of the arcuate-shaped insulating panels are joined to create
at least first and second liquid capacities of the storage tank, an
arcuate length of each of the arcuate-shaped insulating panels
being varied to vary an inner tank radius to differentiate the
first and second liquid capacities.
14. A method for constructing an insulated storage tank, the
storage tank including a plurality of insulating panels, individual
ones of the insulating panels each including a leading edge contact
surface forming a leading edge apex and a trailing edge offset, and
an oppositely located trailing edge contact surface, an inner
liner, an insulating lid, an insulating floor; and an outer support
jacket, the method comprising: creating floor contact walls and
floor support shelves in each of the insulating panels; slotting
the insulating panels into position adjacent and on top of the
insulating floor such that all of the insulating panels are placed
around the floor having the leading edge contact surface and the
trailing edge contact surface of proximate insulating panels
abutting one another creating a cylindrical wall; inserting the
inner liner into a cavity created by the insulating panels such
that the inner liner covers the insulating floor and lines an inner
circumference of the insulating panels; and placing the outer
support jacket around an exterior arcuate surface of all of the
insulating panels.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating an overhang
of the inner liner extending over a horizontal rim surface of the
insulating panels during the placing step.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a lid
resting shelf on an interior facing rim side wall of the
cylindrical wall during the creating step.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising disposing the tank
lid on the inner liner extending over the horizontal rim surface of
the insulating panels and supported by the lid resting shelf.
18. The method of claim 14, further comprising joining opposite
ends of the outer support jacket to creating a joint.
Description
FIELD
The present disclosure relates to thermally insulated storage
tanks. More particularly, the present technology relates to a
modular, thermally insulated storage tank for storing hot or cold
liquids.
BACKGROUND
The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
Each day, the sun provides 10,000 times the amount of energy
utilized by the human race. In a single day, it provides more
energy than our current population would consume in 27 years. In
North America alone, it is believed that close to two trillion
dollars is spent annually on energy, much of which is designated
towards non-renewable, carbon-based sources, such as oil, coal, and
other fossil fuels. When energy consumption for the average U.S.
household is approximately 65-80% thermal and approximately 20-35%
electrical, it makes sense to derive a means of satisfying both of
these requirements through renewable sources.
There have been many advances in the past few decades toward the
capture of renewable energy resources, such as water turbines
(which convert the kinetic energy of moving water into
electricity), wind generators (which convert the energy of the wind
into electrical energy), geothermal heating (which utilizes the
stability of the subterraneous temperature to provide thermal
energy), and solar cells (which allow the capture and conversion of
solar energy into electrical energy).
An alternative type of renewable energy is a solar thermal heat
exchanger, which utilizes the energy of sunlight to heat a liquid,
thereby providing thermal energy for heating or cooling. In this
type of energy harnessing, typically a flat plate is blackened on
the front to improve absorption of solar radiation and is arranged
with its blackened surface facing the sun and sloped at a suitable
angle to optimize the energy collected. A series of tubes is
secured to the panel, and water to be heated is circulated through
these tubes to extract the heat received by the panel. The
innovative thermal capture systems require that the circulated
heated water be stored for further energy extraction. The warmed
water from solar thermal heat exchangers is normally circulated
through a separate tank so that the temperature may build up to a
maximum value being a balance between the heat input and heat
losses in the system. This water can then be used as feed water for
heating non-heated water for domestic use through the use of in
tank heat exchangers.
While the volumes of heated recirculation water varies with the
size of the solar thermal heat exchangers mounted to a residential
or commercial structure, a tank of sufficient size to store all of
the systems liquid is required to be maintained on site. To
maximize thermal energy capture, these liquid storage tanks are
often located in basements of homes and businesses, particularly in
the northern climates where placement of the storage tank in the
exterior of the building structure may lead to tank failure and at
best, loss of captured thermal energy, especially in the winter
months. Similar but opposite considerations apply for the storage
of cold liquids, refrigerants and the like in warmer climates,
where the most suitable storage location for these tanks are also
often in lower levels of the home or business, especially during
the hotter months.
Often, large prefabricated storage tanks are difficult to maneuver
and placement in lower levels and basements of homes and businesses
are hampered by the fact that the average door widths range from 87
to 92 cm (341/4 to 361/4 inches), far smaller than the dimensions
of the storage tanks. Moreover, given their bulk and weight,
prefabricated storage tanks in capacities of hundreds of gallons to
thousands of gallons are difficult to reposition once they have
been previously established.
SUMMARY
It is therefore an object of the present technology to provide a
thermally insulated storage tank, which may provide a temperature,
regulated liquid for circulation to an outside tank or other
thermal capture devices.
It is another object of the present technology to provide a
thermally insulated storage tank that is thermally highly efficient
in design, by being modular and easily assembled in difficult to
reach areas.
A further object of the present technology is to provide a
thermally regulated storage tank that can interface with a business
or residential thermal capture panel system. A liquid stored in the
thermally insulated tank is capable of heating or cooling a second
source of circulating water for domestic or commercial use. When
the stored liquid is hot, it can then be recirculated back to the
thermal capture system to become reheated again.
Finally, it is an object of the present technology to provide an
insulated storage tank, which is both economical and simple to
manufacture, as well as easy to install.
These and other objects will become apparent from the present
technology comprising an insulated storage tank designed to
incorporate a means of storing both hot and cold liquids including
water, antifreeze and compressed liquefied gasses. The insulated
storage tank includes an inner liner supported by a plurality of
vertical insulating panels. The insulating panels are arranged
circumferentially to form a cylinder, each insulating panel in
contact with a leading edge and a trailing edge of another
insulating panel. The insulating panels are freestanding and are
further supported by an outer support jacket. The liquid is placed
within the inner liner and will assert a force against the
insulating panels. Thermal energy in the liquids are further
insulated by an insulating lid that is disposed within the upper
circumference of the insulating panels and forms an insulating seal
with the inner liner. Optionally, the insulating panel rests on an
insulating floor that is sized and shaped to fit within the void
provided by the lower circumference of the insulating panels
Other optional components can include a plumbing board having inlet
and outlet liquid ports for introducing and removing liquid from
the insulated storage tank chamber, microprocessors and pumps,
temperature sensors, water level sensors and other monitoring
systems to regulate the volume and temperature of a liquid in the
thermally insulated tank. Also contemplated as an optional feature
includes a heat exchanger operable to circulate a liquid, for
example, domestic potable water capable of being heated by the
stored liquid in the insulated storage tank. The potable water can
be used for domestic purposes such as filling a home hot water
tank, for use in laundry, for heating the home and other known
heating or cooling applications.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. It should be understood that the
description and specific examples are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only
and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure
in any way.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the thermally insulated tank
comprising the preferred embodiment of the present technology;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the thermally insulated tank with the
lid in place;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an insulating panel comprising the
preferred embodiment of the present technology;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the insulating panel of FIG. 3
comprising the preferred embodiment insulated storage tank of the
present technology;
FIG. 5 is a plan view as viewed from the top of the insulating
panel of the present technology;
FIG. 6 is a plan view as viewed from the bottom of the insulating
panel of the present technology;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the bottom of the insulated storage tank
comprising the preferred embodiment insulated storage tank of the
present technology;
FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of the insulated storage tank
comprising the preferred embodiment insulated storage tank of the
present technology;
FIG. 9A is a perspective view depicting a prepackaged insulated
storage tank on a pallet;
FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the insulating floor during a
first construction step;
FIG. 9C is a perspective view modified from FIG. 9B to include an
insulating wall portion;
FIG. 9D is a perspective view modified from FIG. 9C to include
further insulating wall portions;
FIG. 9E is a perspective view modified from FIG. 9D to include all
of the insulating wall portions in assembled form;
FIG. 9F is a perspective view modified from FIG. 9E to further show
an inner liner in an installed position;
FIG. 9G is a perspective view modified from FIG. 9F to further show
the outer support jacket in an installed position; and
FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the insulating panels arranged
in a cylindrical fashion prior to circumferential application of
the outer support jacket around the insulating panels.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not
intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It
should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding
reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and
features.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled
in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as
examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a
thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details
need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in
many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit
the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments,
well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known
technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be
limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the"
may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises,"
"comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and
therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The
method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to
be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the
particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically
identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood
that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "engaged
to", "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it
may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other
element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present.
In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on,"
"directly engaged to", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled
to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements
or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship
between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g.,
"between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly
adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any
and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed
items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to
describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or
sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or
sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be
only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or
section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as
"first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do
not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the
context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section
discussed below could be termed a second element, component,
region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of
the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "beneath",
"below", "lower", "above", "upper" and the like, may be used herein
for ease of description to describe one element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in
the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass
different orientations of the device in use or operation in
addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example,
if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as
"below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be
oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example
term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below.
The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at
other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used
herein interpreted accordingly.
Referring now to the figures, particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, the
preferred embodiment of the present technology comprising an
insulated storage tank 10 is shown. The insulated storage tank 10
comprises an outer support jacket 30, a plurality of insulating
panels 100 in proximate contact with outer support jacket 30, an
inner liner 400 which conforms to the interior cavity of the
thermally insulated tank 10 and an insulating lid 20 covering the
circular opening to the insulated storage tank 10. The insulated
storage tank 10 comprises a generally cylindrical-shape. The thin
outer support jacket 30 surrounds the exterior arcuate surface of
insulating panels 100 shown in FIG. 2. The outer support jacket 10
provides structural rigidity and assists insulating panels 100 from
collapsing or being forced apart. Outer support jacket 30 has a
length that is generally slightly longer than the circumference of
the insulated storage tank 10. The outer support jacket 30 has a
height that is typically the same height of insulated storage tank
10. The outer support jacket 30 can be made from any structurally
resilient polymer, plastic, metal or wood, including for example
thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) materials commercially available as
SEQUEL E3000 sold by Solvay Engineered Polymers Inc. (Auburn Hills,
Mich., USA),
In some embodiments the outer support jacket 30 can have a width
ranging from about 0.1 mm about 10 mm wide, or from about 1 mm to
about 10 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 10 mm, or from about 0.1
mm to about 9 mm, or from about 0.1 mm to about 7 mm, or from about
0.1 mm to about 5 mm. The ends 35 of the outer support jacket 30
can be overlaid and glued together around the insulating panels 100
as shown in FIG. 1.
In some embodiments, the insulated storage tank 10 includes an
insulating lid 20. Insulating lid 20 can be made from any generally
known insulation material including expanded polypropylene,
thermosetting plastic foams, thermoplastic polyolefins, fiberglass,
expanded perlite, wood, metals and any material that is capable of
retaining the heat or cold in the liquids within the insulated
storage tank 10. Foam is preferably used because of the superior
heat transfer properties provided by foam materials, relative ease
of manufacture and it's lightweight. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
insulating lid 20 can be apportioned along a midline 80 in two
sections to allow the opening and removal of one half of the lid
while keeping the other half in place.
The insulating lid 20 can optionally house, support and integrate a
variety of mechanical and electrical components that provide
diagnostic and operational functionality to the insulated storage
tank 10. For example, insulating lid 20 can be mounted with a
plumbing board to provide all of the hydraulic operational
requirements of the tank, for example, liquid input and output and
sampling. Control unit 60 can also include a variety of mechanical
and electrical components such as logic boards, relays,
microprocessors and the like to send and receive electrical signals
to and from a variety of mechanical and electrical components, for
example, pumps and sensors. A variety of sensors can be included
and mounted onto insulating lid 20, for example, water level sensor
75 mounted to the lid with the aid of a seal 70. Water level sensor
75 can be free-standing or can be integrated with control unit 60
and a pump (not shown) to determine the level of liquid in the
insulated storage tank 10. Upon liquid volume loss in the insulated
storage tank 10, liquid level sensor 75 can detect the deficiency
and send a signal to control unit 60 to activate a pump to fill the
tank with more liquid. Temperature sensor 65 can also be integrated
with control unit 60 and measure the temperature of the liquid in
the insulated storage tank 10.
If the liquid in the insulated storage tank 10 falls below a
predetermined threshold, temperature sensor 65 can send a signal to
a valve (not shown) to reduce the volume of liquid being
recirculated on the roof of a residence from entering into the
insulated storage tank 10. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 65
can alert the system if the liquid in the insulated storage tank 10
rises above a predetermined threshold. In such a case, the
temperature sensor 65 can send a signal to a pump (not shown) to
increase the flow of a secondary liquid being circulated in a heat
exchanger (not shown) which is placed in the insulated storage tank
10 to extract heat from the liquid in the insulated storage tank
10. In addition, liquid inlet 50 and liquid outlet 55 can be used
to add materials into the insulated storage tank 10, or to remove
materials, including liquids, within the insulated storage tank 10.
Generally, insulating lid 20 has a diameter that is slightly larger
than the internal diameter 500 shown in FIG. 8. The thickness of
insulating lid 20 can vary and is not critical. However, for
aesthetic appeal, the exterior surface of the insulating lid 20 can
be generally flush with the horizontal rim surface 110 of the
insulating panels 100 shown in greater detail in FIG. 3.
Referring now to FIGS. 3-6 and 8-10, the insulated storage tank 10
also includes a plurality of vertical insulating panels 100. In
some embodiments, the insulating panels 100 are the cylindrical
side walls of the insulated storage tank 10 that supports the
insulating lid 20. In use the insulating lid 20 is placed on the
lid resting shelf 160. With reference to FIG. 3, illustrating the
insulating panel 100 in perspective view, the insulating panel 100
has a rim and a horizontal rim surface 110, the rim also includes a
rim side wall 170 and lid resting shelf 160. Insulating panel 100
has a leading edge contact surface 140 and a trailing edge contact
surface 150. The insulating floor 25 is slotted into the recess
formed by floor contact wall 180 and floor support shelf 185. When
the complete cylinder is formed by aligning all of the required
insulating panels 100 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 along with the
insulating floor 25, the inner liner 400 can be placed in the void
created by the arrangement of the insulating panels 100 and
insulating floor 25 as shown in FIG. 9. The inner liner 400 rests
against and is supported by interior arcuate surface 130 of
insulating panel 100.
Insulating panel 100 has a leading edge contact surface 140 forms a
leading edge apex 142 with a trailing edge offset 210. The
placement of the leading edge contact surface 140 of one insulating
panel 100 in direct contact with the trailing edge contact surface
150 of the next insulating panel 100 in succession (in a clock wise
fashion) has been surprisingly found to provide substantial
resistance to radial movement of the insulating panels due to the
hydrostatic force created by liquid. All of the insulating panels
100 can be connected with the use of a clasping mechanism placed on
the exterior arcuate surface 120. Alternatively, the leading edge
contact surface 140 and the trailing edge contact surface 150 of
insulating panels 100 can each have male and female interlocking
structure that can approximate the two contact surfaces 140 and 150
and lock them into position. Preferably, the insulating panel 100
can all be clasped or structurally held in position by placing an
outer support jacket 30 around the exterior arcuate surface 120 as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 9.
It has been determined that for a 60 inch outer diameter/350 gallon
insulated storage tank 10, the pressure exerted on a 1 mm thick TPO
outer support jacket 30 after the insulated storage tank 10 has
been fully assembled having an insulating panel thickness of 4.4
inches, and an inner liner 400 storing 330 gal of water, 1 m high
column of water, inner tank radius of 25.6 inches) is approximately
1084 psi which is well within its tensile yield of 3100 psi. For a
2000 gallon tank with a 2 mm thick TPO outer support jacket using
the same column water height but an inner radius of 61.1 inches,
the stress on the outer support jacket 30 is approximately 1184.5
psi and is also well within its tensile yield of 3100 psi.
The insulating panel 100 can also be made of any suitable modular
material as described above for the insulating lid 20. These can
include expanded polypropylene, thermosetting plastic foams,
thermoplastic polyolefins, fiberglass, expanded perlite, wood,
metals and any material that is capable of retaining the heat or
cold in the liquids within the insulated storage tank 10. Foam is
preferably used because of the superior heat transfer properties
provided by foam materials, relative ease of manufacture and is
lightweight. The dimensions of the insulating panel 100 can vary
according to the size of the insulated storage tank 10 needed. For
example, for a 330 gallon insulated storage tank, 5 insulating
panels 100 can be used form a complete cylinder. For a 330 gallon
insulated storage tank 10, each insulating panel 100 can measure
approximately 47 inches in height, an arcuate length of 34.5 inches
and a width of approximately 4 inches. In some embodiments, the
number of insulating panels 100 used to form the insulated storage
tank 10 can vary, preferably there are 5 insulating panel 100 per
insulated storage tank 10.
In some embodiments of the present technology, the insulated
storage tank 10 can also optionally have an insulating floor 25.
While not essential to the practice of the present technology, an
insulating floor 25 can be used with the bottom cutout in the
insulating panel 100 to provide a unified structure that is
configured to resist the hydrostatic stresses imposed on the
insulated storage tank 100 walls. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8,
the insulating floor 25 can be made from any insulation material as
described above for the insulating panel 100. Insulating floor 25
can be a single piece of insulation or it can be made from two
halves divided by the line 82 as shown in FIG. 7.
Best shown in FIG. 8, the inner liner 400 can be constructed from
any synthetic or natural material that is capable of withstanding
liquids having temperatures ranging from about 0.degree. C. to
about 250.degree. C., preferably from about 4.degree. C. to about
190.degree. C. In some embodiments, the inner liner 400 can be
constructed of a synthetic plastic material, polymer material or
thermoplastic materials capable of withstanding liquid temperatures
ranging from about 0.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. In some
embodiments, the inner liner 400 can be made from a poly vinyl
chloride material.
With general reference now to FIGS. 9A-9G and 10, and with specific
reference to FIG. 9A, the insulated storage tank 10 can be
prepacked on a pallet 182 saving transportation costs and freight
charges. The small footprint of the delivery package containing the
modular insulated storage tank also affords vastly improved
maneuverability and locations for installation. As shown in FIG.
9B, the modular parts of the insulated storage tank 10 can be
easily assembled by first preparing the insulating floor 25. As
previously noted, the insulating floor 25 is not essential to the
invention. However, it is preferred to other forms of insulation
flooring. As sequentially shown in FIGS. 9C-9E, the insulating
panels 150 are fitted with floor contact walls 180 and floor
support shelves 185; then, the insulating panel 100 can be slotted
into position adjacent and on top of insulating floor 25. Then, as
shown in FIGS. 9C-9E, all of the insulating panels 100 are placed
around the floor 25, ensuring that the leading edge contact surface
140 and a trailing edge contact surface 150 of insulating panels
100 are abutting one another. As shown in FIG. 9F, once the
insulating panels 100 have been positioned around the insulating
floor 25 the next step is to place the inner liner 400 into the
cavity of the insulated storage tank 10 and leave an overhang 402
of inner liner 400 extend over the horizontal rim surface 110 of
the insulating panels 100. As shown in FIG. 9G, the last step can
include placing an outer support jacket 30 around the exterior
arcuate surface of all of the insulating panels 100 and joining the
ends of the outer support jacket 30 leaving a joint 35 as shown in
FIG. 1.
The present technology affords a simple manner in which to prepare
on site an insulated storage tank having liquid capacities ranging
from 50 gallons to 5,000 gallons. The insulated storage tank has
many used for storing both hot and cold liquids.
In a preferred embodiment, the hot liquid stored in the insulated
storage tank 10 can include liquids (e.g. water), that are
recirculated through a solar thermal capture device, for example,
the Power Panel Solar/Thermal capture device disclosed in
International Application PCT/US2008/078822, filed Oct. 3, 2008,
the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. The
stored hot liquids (e.g. water) recirculating through said Power
Panel Solar/Thermal capture device can reach temperatures ranging
from 75-120.degree. C. The stored hot liquid in the insulated
storage tank 10 of the present technology can be used to heat a
secondary potable water source (for example a domestic home water
source) with the use of heat exchangers placed in the insulated
storage tank 10. Similarly, heat exchangers placed in insulated
storage tanks storing compressed liquids such as carbon dioxide can
be used to cool a secondary liquid source for residential or
commercial cooling. The rate of recirculation through the
solar/thermal energy capture device and passage into the insulated
storage tank 10 can be automated to maintain a set temperature
within the insulated storage tank 10.
The embodiments and the examples described herein are exemplary and
not intended to be limiting in describing the full scope of
compositions and methods of the present technology. Equivalent
changes, modifications and variations of some embodiments,
materials, compositions and methods can be made within the scope of
the present technology, with substantially similar results.
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